Eric Venturoso
Sociology
CONFLICT PERSPECTIVES
The conflict perspective proposes that all of the world’s societies are
stratified into different levels. This perspective manifests itself as a pyramid,
with a small elite group on top who possesses all of the means necessary to
exert their will over broader subordinate groups in the lower strata. In its
tangible sense, conflict theorists claim that all the segments of society are
placed in a struggle to gather the world’s scarce resources for themselves
and consequently strife and conflict arise over the competition to collect
them.
Knowing that there is only so much wealth in the world to be had,
each group vies for their share and people find ways to gain more and more,
whether by social (through one’s prestige, honor, or influence), political (the
ability to impose one’s will, power, or authority), or economical (provision
of life’s necessities and the consumption of goods) means.
The conflict theorist has a model of the world’s society as divided into
two socio-economic extremes: lower classes struggling for sources of
upward mobility and the higher classes who seek to use their position to
maintain their dominance and prestige in the upper echelons of society. This
model can be seen anywhere in the world, and is most prominent in third
world countries where the gap between rich and poor is enormous.
Conflict theorists accept as fact that the world is inherently unequal,
almost to the point of blaming the dominant groups of society for the
suffering and impoverishment of the lower classes. Conflict theories branch
out into a broad spectrum of the contentions man faces such as racial,
gender, social, economic, and political inequalities. Those who hold such a
view of constant friction between classes appear antagonistic and blame
inequality and divisiveness as the source of every woe and trouble people
ever...